


Day Nine: It Gets Better

by Elril_Silverstar



Series: Elril Does Writer's Month: August 2019 [9]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Downton Abbey
Genre: Bad Ideas, Crossover, M/M, Tenth Doctor Era, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, What Have I Done, spilled ink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 01:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20183737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elril_Silverstar/pseuds/Elril_Silverstar
Summary: “No, I won’t say anything like that. I just wanted to say, that is gets better. Not right away, maybe not even in your lifetime. But it does get better.”“What?” Thomas shook his head, “you can’t know that.”





	Day Nine: It Gets Better

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't mean to, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone.

The Tardis came to a plunging, skittering halt at last, settling at a jaunty angle. Allowing the Doctor to finally pick himself up off the floor. A quick check of the controls told him that the temporal anomaly that had knocked him off course had forced the Tardis into a restart cycle.

  
“Right. Staying here for a bit then, wherever here is…” Striding to the door he opened it, stepping out cautiously.

  
Outside was a woodland, not quite dense enough to be called a forest. The smell of rain was in the air, and the ground was still damp from it. The Tardis had come to rest on the side of a hill, that explained the angle anyways.  
The Doctor knew from the smell of the air that there was only one place he could be.

  
“England! Oh fantastic! Now just have to find out when I am.” He turned on the spot trying to decide which direction to set off in when two men came crashing through the woods not far from him.

  
“Peter! Wait!” Called the second man, he had dark hair and the complexion of someone who worked indoors.

  
“Why? Why should I?” The other responded, his accent was American, he had the tanned skin and muscled shoulders that suggested a farmer or perhaps a blacksmith. "I tell you I love you and all you have to say is that I never meant anything to you? Thomas I know that's not true."

  
The Doctor’s gaze flicked over both men, their clothes suggested early-ish twentieth century, the nineteen-teens or twenties maybe.

  
Thomas opened his mouth wordlessly, closed it again.

  
“That’s what I thought.” Peter snapped, his voice breaking. “I want to be with you Thomas, even if we have to run away to somewhere no one knows us. I don’t care if it’s Paris, or New York, or...Anywhere. Anywhere you want to go.”

  
Thomas looked heart broken, “I can’t. Not yet.”

  
Peter nodded, “I know...Come see me when you are ready.” He turned on his heel, with a sharp “no, don’t” when Thomas reached out to him.

The Doctor approached cautiously, not wanting to startle the thoroughly miserable looking man. “Excuse me, couldn’t help but overhear…”

Thomas jerked his head up, taking in this rather odd looking man, “if you’re about to say that we’re evil, or twisted, or aberrations in the sight of God...Please, just don’t.”

  
“No, I won’t say anything like that. I just wanted to say, that is gets better. Not right away, maybe not even in your lifetime. But it does get better.”

  
“What?” Thomas shook his head, “you can’t know that.”

  
“I can, I’ve been to times where humans have learned to celebrate their differences. Where people like you have parades, declaring who and how they love, yelling it from the rooftops.”

  
“That’s not possible, it’s-it’s illegal to be...The way I am.”

  
“It won’t be forever, come on I’ll show you.” The Doctor held out a hand, a grin beginning to brighten his features.

Thomas looked bewildered but took the Doctor’s hand. “Alright, let’s see this future of yours then. What should I call you?”

  
“I’m the Doctor, and I hope you’re ready for some adventure. Now let’s go see the world!” His eyes sparkled as he lead Thomas into the Tardis.


End file.
